Insects, and the damage they cause, are a serious economic threat to farmers worldwide. Importing countries, for example, will block fruit and vegetable shipments from certain exporting countries, rather than risk their phytosanitary status by importing foreign fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products.
One insect that is of major concern today is the fruit fly. There are over 4,000 species of fruit flies worldwide. The genus Anastrepha, found throughout the Americas, Florida and the Caribbean Islands, comprises approximately 180 species. Of these 180 species, 7 cause serious economic damage.
The Mediterranean Fruit Fly or Medfly (Ceratitis capatata), is the most widespread and damaging fruit fly in the world. The Medfly can currently be found in Guatemala and the Mexican states bordering Guatemala. If the Medfly reaches Oaxaca and/or Veracruz, it will have a corridor to the United States. Countermeasures, particularly effective means of pest control, are needed to prevent the spread of the Medfly to the United States. One method of control amounts essentially to birth control.
The female fruit fly has a life-span of 50 days, and will mate only once within her life-span. Thus, dispersing sterile male fruit flies or genetically modified fruit flies that later mate with the female fruit fly breaks the life-cycle of the fruit fly and decreases the population.